Writing poetry
Vocabulary
- стихотворениеpoem
- строфаstanza / strophe
- рифмаrhyme
- ритмrhythm
- размерmeter (poetic)
- ямбiamb
- хорейtrochee
- дактильdactyl
- верлибрfree verse
- цезураcaesura
- рифмовкаrhyme scheme
- рифмованные строкиrhyming lines
Writing Russian Poetry
Russian poetry has a rich formal tradition. Unlike English, Russian is a heavily inflected language with natural stress patterns that lend themselves to strict metre.
Classical Metres in Russian
The most common metres in Russian classical poetry:
- Ямб (Iamb) — unstressed + stressed: ta-TUM. Pushkin's favourite; used in *Евгений Онегин*. Feels energetic and forward-moving.
- Хорей (Trochee) — stressed + unstressed: TUM-ta. Feels more folk-like; used in folk songs (частушки).
- Дактиль (Dactyl) — stressed + unstressed + unstressed: TUM-ta-ta. Expansive, melancholic feel.
Rhyme Schemes
Common Russian rhyme schemes:
- ABAB — перекрёстная рифма (cross rhyme) — most common
- AABB — парная рифма (paired rhyme)
- ABBA — опоясывающая рифма (enclosing rhyme)
Free Verse (Верлибр)
Modern Russian poetry increasingly uses free verse (верлибр), without fixed metre or rhyme, following the tradition of Mayakovsky's ladder-style (лесенка) poetry.
Key Tip
In Russian poetry, the ending of words (masculine, feminine, dactylic endings) determines the rhythm — unlike English, where syllable count dominates.
Expressions
- Стихи написаны ямбомThe poem is written in iambs
- Перекрёстная рифма АБАБCross rhyme scheme ABAB
- Мужская / женская рифмаMasculine / feminine rhyme (stress placement)
- Лесенка МаяковскогоMayakovsky's ladder-style verse
- Верлибр без рифмыFree verse without rhyme
- Цезура делит строкуThe caesura divides the line
- Строфа из четырёх строкA four-line stanza (quatrain)
Common mistakes
Стихи написаны на ямбеСтихи написаны ямбомThe metre is expressed with the instrumental case (ямбом), not на+prepositional
Женская рифма значит рифма для женщинЖенская рифма — рифма с ударением на предпоследнем слогеЖенская рифма means the stress falls on the penultimate syllable, not that it is for women
Поэма и стихотворение — одно и то жеПоэма — длинное произведение; стихотворение — короткоепоэма is a long narrative poem; стихотворение is a short lyric poem — different genres
Рифма AABB называется перекрёстнойРифма AABB называется парнойAABB is парная рифма (paired); перекрёстная is ABAB
Верлибр не имеет никаких правилВерлибр свободен от метра и рифмы, но имеет внутренний ритмFree verse has no fixed metre or rhyme, but it is not without all structure — internal rhythm matters
Quick quiz
Question 1 of 5
How do you say “stanza / strophe” in Russian?
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